Articles

I hear a lot of discussion these days about what it actually means to be older and it makes me wonder at what age someone becomes older.

I have a distinct memory of being in an art class in college and discovering that one of the women in the group was 28. I remember thinking she was so old. She even felt embarrassed to admit her age to the rest of us who were 18 and 19.

Everyday I speak with women who are not just wanting to express their passion, but also feel driven make a difference and leave their mark on the world in a significant way.

It is partly about the inner drive toward expressing greatness and partly about the need to meet their passion and purpose and make a difference. There is an inner longing.

Women often spend their young adult years giving to their families, supporting their children and doing what they have to do.

If you have started a new business at the ripe old age of 55 or 60, you might think you are a bit meschugene (meaning crazy in Yiddish- somehow there are no words in English that come close to the emotional vibration of Yiddish).

It is in fact, a crazy idea because it’s the time in your life that society says you are supposed to slow down, play with your grandchildren and knit. The truth is you can knit even if you haven’t slowed down.

Karen retired from her “real” job thinking it was finally time to do what she really wanted to do. She was 57 and was an engineer for many years, but she wanted the freedom to follow her passion. She retired early and decided to become a life coach.

After completing a training program she was ready to go! However, only a trickle of clients hired her and she discovered what many small business owners have learned; you likely spend more time marketing than everything else put together.

I have fond memories of my carefree days of being in college; perusing the catalogue each term to see what cool classes I could take. If I could be a permanent student I would do it. I’m not referring to grades of course but the love of learning.

As I arrived kicking and screaming into the second half of my life, I
realized that the years were drifting by and I began to wonder why my
life hadn't completely  turned out the way I had wished.  Certainly I
had racked up many successes but there were also still unfulfilled
dreams, places I wanted to go, books to write and things to learn. 
Self- doubt slowly crept in and I wondered whether I would ever
manifest all of my ambitions.

Unstoppable  Women in Business
By Kaya Singer

I was flattered to be invited to join a women's business group recently. Nothing unique in many ways, in that there was a smattering of entrepreneurs present; a massage therapist, clothing designer, naturopath, writer and various other businesses present.  But I felt a bit like an apple in a box of chocolate creams.

Women in their 60s and 70s are now busy re-inventing themselves, sharpening and learning new skills and beginning new enterprises. After quitting a corporate job or retiring from teaching many of you aren't ready to stay home and knit all day.  You want to "do something!" Maybe your retirement isn't stretching as far as you thought, but mainly it's because you just want to. You plainly aren't done yet.